Gênesis 17
Leon Morris · Citado em PreceptAustin
Gênesis 17
Morris - Three times (Genesis 17:7,13,19) God calls it an "everlasting" covenant, and He promised again the land to Abram's seed as an "everlasting" possession (Genesis 17:8). His name was changed from Abram ("exalted father") to Abraham ("father of a multitude"). Not only would he be the father of multitudes of physical descendants (Jews, Arabs, etc.), but the spiritual father of all them that believe in the true God. (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) Wenstrom makes a good point writing that "The promises in this covenant serve as the foundation of Abram’s faith since faith must have a foundation, which is the character and integrity of God." As you read Genesis 17 keep in mind that God is describing what we know today as the Abrahamic Covenant. For more in depth study on this great covenant see Dr S Lewis Johnson's series Genesis 12:1-3, 15:7-21 The Abrahamic Covenant - Pt 1 Romans 11:1-10 The Abrahamic Covenant - Pt 2 Romans 11:11-27 The Abrahamic Covenant - Pt 3 Genesis 9:1-17 The Universal Covenant Genesis 12:1-3 Abrahamic: Fundamental Covenant Dr. Johnson introduces what he calls possibly the most important covenant in Scripture. Genesis 15:7-21 Ratification of Abrahamic Covenant Genesis 17:9-27 Sign of the Abrahamic Covenant Genesis 17:1-8 The Sealing of the Covenant Covenant (01285) berit/berith/beriyth means covenant, treaty, compact, agreement between two parties (first use in God's covenant with Noah - Ge 6:18+, Ge 9:9, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17+). As discussed more below beriyth describes a compact made by passing between pieces of flesh. Covenant is a solemn, binding arrangement between two parties and entails a variety of responsibilities, benefits and penalties depending on the specific covenant which is being studied. OT covenants were made between God and man (eg, God with Noah - Ge 6:18+, with Abram - Ge 15:18+) or between men (Abraham and Abimelech - Ge 21:27, Isaac and Abimelech - Ge 26:28, Jacob and Laban - Ge 31:44) (For summary of covenants see - Covenant in the Bible). W E Vine notes that "The wholly gracious and effective character of God’s “covenant” is confirmed in the Septuagint by the choice of diatheke to translate berit/beriyth. A diatheke is a will that distributes one’s property after death according to the owner’s wishes. It is completely unilateral." (Vine's Expository Dictionary) Warren
Gênesis 17
Morris - As the rainbow encircling the whole earth was a token of God's covenant with all men (Genesis 9:17), so circumcision, encircling the channel by which the human seed is preserved and transmitted, especially the promised Seed in the line of Abraham, is the token of God's covenant with His chosen nation. It was not a sign to be seen of all men, as was the rainbow, but a sign to be seen only by a man's parents and his wife, reminding them of their faith commitment to the God of Abraham, and His promise to them. (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) R Kent
Gênesis 17
Morris - Sarah (with a new name meaning "princess") was blessed first by a miracle (probably at the time of Genesis 18:14) that rejuvenated her body, enabling her to have a son long after it seemed biologically possible. As Isaac became a type of Christ, so she became a type of Mary, and is considered to be a spiritual mother of believers as Abraham was their spiritual father (1 Peter 3:6; Hebrews 11:11,12). (Borrow The Defender's Study Bible) Parunak: The error of ch. 16, at root, was a failure to understand that God’s covenant with Abraham included his wife. She is not just an accessory. The promise that Abraham will have a seed necessarily includes her. The two of them haven’t fully grasped this up to this point, so here God makes it explicit. (Notes on Gen 17) Summary of the features of the Abrahamic Covenant as revealed in Genesis 17: Part of God’s blessing would depend on Abraham’s maintaining the Covenant of Circumcision, though the Abrahamic Covenant as a whole did not depend on this (Ge 17:1–2). Many nations would come from Abraham (Ge 17:4–6). The Abrahamic Covenant would be “everlasting” (Ge 17:7–8). God would be the God of Abraham’s descendants in a special relationship (Ge 17: 7–8). Sarah herself would give birth to the promised heir (Ge 17:16). This is also the first time God identified the Promised Land as “Canaan” by name (Ge 17:8). Genesis 17:17 Then Abraham fell on his face and laughed, and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” fell: Ge 17:3 Lev 9:24 Nu 14:5 16:22,45 De 9:18,25 Jos 5:14 7:6 Judges 13:20 1Ch 21:16 Job 1:20 Eze 1:28 Da 8:17 Mt 2:11 Rev 5:8 11:16 laughed: Ge 18:12 21:6 Joh 8:56 Ro 4:19,20 Genesis 17 Resources - Multiple sermons and commentaries Related Passage: Romans 4:17-21+ - (as it is written, “A FATHER OF MANY NATIONS HAVE I MADE YOU”) in the presence of Him whom he believed, even God, who gives life to the dead and calls into being that which does not exist. 18 In hope against hope he believed, so that he might become a father of many nations according to that which had been spoken, “SO SHALL YOUR DESCENDANTS BE.” 19 Without becoming weak in faith he contemplated his own body, now as good as dead since he was about a hundred years old, and the deadness of Sarah’s womb; 20 yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, 21 and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform. ABRAHAM FELL DOWN AND LAUGHED Then Abraham fell on his face The more honours and favours God confers upon us the lower we should be in our own eyes, and the more reverent and submissive before God. At age 86 Abe went into Hagar producing Ishmael, the product of the flesh not of the promise--and the flesh can never please God!!! So God appears to Abram whose body was as good as dead and He tells Abram that He is His El Shaddai and ''I will establish My covenant. I am your all sufficient One. Quit seeking other ways. Rest in Me. Trust Me.'' Where do you run when you need help? You run to the rock that is higher than you and you find your strength in El Shaddai. And laughed (tsachaq) , and said in his heart, “Will a child be born to a man one hundred years old? And will Sarah, who is ninety years old, bear a child?” This was the first time God specifically had told Abraham that his barren, aged wife would be the mother of the promised seed. Three different occasions of laughter are associated with Isaac’s birth: Abraham laughed when he heard his wife would give birth to the promised son (Ge 17:17). Sarah laughed in apparent unbelief when she heard the news (Ge 18:9-15). Then again Sarah laughed for joy when the boy was born (Ge 21:6,7). As we have seen the name Isaac means “he laughs.” There is an interesting play on the Hebrew word laughed (tsachaq) in Genesis 17-19 for it is used of 3 different individuals - first of Abraham laughing (I think in joy) (Ge 17:17), next of Sarah laughing in disbelief (Ge 18:12, 13, 15) and finally of Lot's potential Sodomite son-in-laws "laughing" in mockery (Ge 19:14). And in light of all this laughing we see the name Isaac (Yitschaq - "he laughs") derives from (tsachaq) (Ge 17:19)! Note that God does not rebuke Abraham when he laughs but does "rebuke" Sarah when she laughs in Ge 18:13 which would support that Abraham's laugh was not necessarily one of unbelief (See also Ro 4:17-21 above). However, there are a number of writers who see Abraham's laughter as a sign of unbelief. For example John MacArthur feels that "A proper reaction of adoration over God’s promises was marred by the incredulity of Abraham. He knew he was to be a father (Ge 12:2; Ge 15:4), but this was the first mention that his barren, old wife was to be the mother." (BORROW MacArthur Study Bible page 38) Charles Ryrie agrees with MacArthur writing "Some feel that Abraham laughed for joy, but Ge 17:18 indicates that it was an expression of doubt as he struggled to match his faith to his circumstances." NET NOTE comments that "It is important to note that even though Abraham staggers at the announcement of the birth of a son, finding it almost too incredible, he nonetheless calls his wife Sarah, the new name given to remind him of the promise of God." William MacDonald on the other hand feels "The patriarch laughed, but in joyful wonder, not in unbelief. His faith did not waver (Ro 4:18-21)." C H Spurgeon favors Abraham's laughter as a laugh of belief not unbelief (see his quote). Jon Courson - Abraham’s is not the laugh of mockery or unbelief, but of ecstasy and elation. Skip Heitzig He believed that promise. This is laughter of sheer joy. How do I know that? Because God doesn't rebuke him. And in chapter eighteen, Sarah laughs when she hears this and it was the laughter of unbelief, because the Lord said, 'You don't believe what I'm saying, do you?' But here's an old guy just going, 'I can't believe it! I'm an old dude and she's an old chick and we're gonna have a kid!' It was something along those lines. Wenstrom - Warren Wiersbe defines worship, “Worship is the believer’s response of all that they are –mind, emotions, will and body-to what God is and says and does. This response has its mystical side in subjective experience and its practical side in objective obedience to God’s revealed will. Worship is a loving response that’s balanced by the fear of the Lord, and it is a deepening response as the believer comes to know God better” (Borrow Real Worship, page 26). If we paraphrase Wiersbe’s definition, we could say the following: Abraham is worshipping the Lord in that he is responding in his mind ("said in his heart"), emotions (laughter), and body (falling on his face) to what God is (omnipotent) and His promise to give him and Sarah a child in their old age and he is responding to God’s ability to bring it to pass. Abraham was so overcome with joy at the Lord’s promise to give him and Sarah a baby boy that he fell on his face in worship of the Lord and laughed. He did not laugh out of doubt but out of joy since the Lord did not rebuke him for his lack of faith as the Lord did with Sarah when she laughed after hearing the Lord promise Abraham again that he would get Sarah pregnant as recorded in Genesis 18:13. John Phillips calls this the laughter of faith - Abraham laughed out of sheer joy. The glorious impossibility of it! Why, when God had first spoken to him about a son twenty-five years earlier, then it was bordering on the impossible, but now! Now he was an old, old man and Sarah (in faith he immediately employed her new name), was an old, old woman. And he laughed the laughter of faith as Romans 4 makes perfectly clear. (read Ro 4:19-20+) (Borrow Exploring Genesis page 146) Warren